Medical consultants who are concerned that health services such as cancer care and cardiology are about to be transferred out of the southeast have come together to establish a formal hospital group for the region.
In a “pre-emptive strike”, the South-East Hospitals Working Group has submitted a strategy document to the Government’s chairman of the Hospital Groups Strategic Board, Prof John Higgins, and says their proposal can improve access, quality and value for money in a range of clinical services.
The move follows the announcement last year by Minister for Health Dr James Reilly of the establishment of hospital groups throughout the State.
Consultants fear the Government will back a move to link individual hospitals within the region to larger hospitals in Cork and Dublin, diluting local services in the process, rather than retaining the southeast hospitals as a network. The group also fears that any “downgrading” in services in the southeast would lead to a loss of consultants and specialist expertise.